


A Ridiculous Notion

by PaisleyWraith



Category: South Park
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 16:19:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13767870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaisleyWraith/pseuds/PaisleyWraith
Summary: Kyle's back in town after a year spent at his fancy-ass school. Kenny expected to watch and pine from afar, but the boy seems strangely determined to talk to him.





	A Ridiculous Notion

**Author's Note:**

> Requested on Tumblr for your enjoyment.

He was a fucking stalker. Kenny realized that. He watched the kid eat lunch with his brother, from the kitchens. Damnit, he wished he were a server. Nevermind that this was a little hole-in-the-wall shop and there wasn’t actually any servers employed, send him to wipe tables or sweep the floor or clean the grout of the tiles with a toothbrush, _anything _so he could get a better look at Kyle Broflovski.__

__And it was really fucking weird that he was freaking out over someone he used to know like the back of his own hand, but he hadn’t seen the guy in a year. A whole year. And fucking damn, from what he could tell, he’d gotten pretty. He could see that strong jaw from here, hair cut neatly and manageably, dressed in tight button-up shirt and even tighter jeans that he doubted Kyle would ever have worn before. Like he was comfortable in his own skin. Comfortable, smirking, sharing jokes and insults with his brother, stealing Kenny’s heart._ _

__Ohhhhh this boy was so good at stealing Kenny’s heart. Sooooo good._ _

__He thought he’d get over it when Kyle left. Went to his fancy-ass school way away from Colorado and everyone who lived there. Be able to forget about him and jump straight into the dating scene no problem._ _

__Nope._ _

__Kyle turned from a crush into an obsession. What was he doing? Was he okay? How was his fancy-ass school? Was he still the smartest kid in their year? Did he decide what branch of law he was going into? Was he handling the stress okay? Were the kids up north treating him like shit for coming from a little mountain town or was he respected for how smart he was?_ _

__Then darker thoughts. Missing Kyle. Missing touching Kyle, wanting Kyle, Kyle, Kyle, all he wanted was Kyle. That fluffy hair and thick brows that were perpetually furrowed in disapproval. That pretty smirk on pretty, kissable lips. That cute little ass, and a penchant for bending over to pick things up in the school hallway. That fiery look when he was excited or angry, in his green-brown eyes. Anger and stubbornness mixed with something sweet and loving._ _

__Kyle had bought him and Karen lunch every day of senior year, after all._ _

__Speaking of which._ _

__“I’m paying for that table,” Kenny said as he finished up the sandwich for Kyle and handed it to the cashier to call the redhead up. “Old friend.”_ _

__“Want me to tell him?” She asked, kindly, but he was shaking his head._ _

__“It…nah,” He said, going back to hide in the kitchen. “Nah. Just tell him it’s nice to see him back in South Park.”_ _

__No need for him to know. No reason. Little greasy boy working in the kitchen to get his sister out of this stupid town wasn’t worth it. Not to nice clothes and shined shoes even while walking around town. Not to Mr. Ivy League._ _

__He went back to scrub out the giant mixer bowl they’d used this morning to make quiche. Tweak Bros. really wasn’t liking the new little lunch/bakery place that opened up down the way. Kenny didn’t expect it to last long, so he was picking up shifts while he could._ _

__Someone came up to the window between the kitchen a little frantically, and Kenny whirled around to see Kyle peering through the space._ _

__The two boys stared at each other._ _

__“Hi,” Kyle said, a bit desperately. Kenny’s tongue seemed to be stuck to the bottom of his mouth._ _

__He nodded. Stupidly. Like a fucking moron. He looked sharp, that shirt had to be tailored. He looked pale at the moment, a bit tired, was he okay? Kenny soaked him in._ _

__“You…” Kyle hadn’t looked away. He wasn’t even sure Kyle had blinked. Kenny’s coworker in the kitchen was snickering to himself in the corner at them. “You didn’t have to pay for our food.”_ _

__Kenny shrugged. He wasn’t someone who was often tongue tied. Or was ever tongue tied. He struggled. “I…nice to see you again.”_ _

__“Yeah.” Kyle swallowed. “Kenny.”_ _

__“Ky,” Kenny’s high school nickname for the boy slipped out. Kyle started to smile, carefully, almost shyly. Kenny started to grin as well._ _

__His _breathing_ changed around the boy. Kyle had such a grip over him, mind and body, engulfing him. He was smiling like an idiot, afraid to get too much closer._ _

__“Thanks,” Kyle quietly offered. He leaned against the counter separating him, likely getting his lavender sleeves dirty._ _

__“Course,” Kenny seemed to shake himself from whatever spell Kyle had him under. “It’s not like you didn’t buy me food all through school. Kept me from starving.”_ _

__Kyle laughed, just once, like he hadn’t meant to. He covered his lips with his fingers, looking awkward. “You don’t owe me for that, Ken. You really don’t.”_ _

__“I know I don’t,” Kenny said quickly. “That’s not what that is.” Kyle quirked an eyebrow, just like he remembered. He smiled, eyes soft. “It’s nice to see you.”_ _

__“You said that already,” Ike’s voice carried over to them, trembling a little in suppressed laughter. Kyle gave him a look promising death over his shoulder, and Kenny decided he’d manipulated enough of his time._ _

__“Go have lunch with your brother, Ky,” Kenny lifted a shoulder, smiling._ _

__Kyle looked like arguing for a moment. Brows furrowed, a spark in his expression. He even looked a little irritated, disappearing from the window without saying bye. Kenny stared after him, and his coworker waltzed by him with a smirk._ _

__“Ex?” Jayce guessed, eyes twinkling._ _

__“Old friend,” Kenny corrected, chest aching. He’d never gotten anywhere with Kyle. He’d watched the guy with a couple girlfriends that never lasted longer than a month, and just wondered…why? Even Kenny’s relationships lasted longer than that. He didn’t get it, and it started to dig under his skin._ _

__If Kyle wasn’t into guys, he’d accept that. Let his heart break and move on. But Kyle on more than one occasion had mentioned being attracted to personality, more so than gender, which didn’t exactly sound like something someone who was totally straight would say._ _

__He toyed with the idea of ‘editing’ himself. Trying to be a little better at school, trying to speak a little less like a mountain hick, cleaning himself up best he could when he really didn’t have running water most of the time._ _

__Kenny scrubbed furiously at the counters, feeling slightly ill._ _

__But Kyle knew him. Knew everything about him, ever flaw and speck on his personality. There would be no fooling Kyle Broflovski, and he might just end up humiliating himself for doing so. Plus he wasn’t sure he could handle the rejection. Because Kyle would be nice about it. Sweet, gentle, sugarcoating the fact Kenny had absolutely nothing to give him. No benefit for leeching onto Kyle. He’d never say that but he’d know, and Kenny couldn’t stand being embarrassed that badly so he said nothing._ _

__He wondered if maybe Kyle found a cute, rich boyfriend up north. Another lawyer or a doctor or something. And blond, he definitely remembered Kyle admitting he liked fair hair once in middle school. (His heart had just about burst out of his chest for a second before reality set back in.)_ _

__And he hated it._ _

__He didn’t want to see Kyle back in ten years for a high school reunion with a hot blond that wasn’t him at his side. Someone dressed in a suit and pressed slacks, arm around Kyle’s waist or teasingly resting on his cute butt, learning the names of Kyle’s old friends, maybe with a kid running around in brand-name clothes, all while Kenny watched and reminded himself that he was white trash. Jealousy burned in him ever time he thought about Kyle in someone else’s arms and he didn’t even know he could feel that. He’d never wanted anything so badly in his life than he wanted Kyle Broflovski. And if there was a sign, a single reason why Kyle would benefit from him, he’d humiliate himself plenty if it at least got him a chance._ _

__He loved the boy way too much._ _

__God, love was so different than what he imagined. Because there was no love at first sight with Kyle. He grew on him, took over his heart and mind and _soul_ , damn him, just by existing. Love hurt, ached, kept him awake some nights. Brought along worry and jealousy and fear for someone he knew would never love him back. Not like that, because Kyle _was_ awful sweet and he believed the kid loved him in his own way. Like he loved Stan, loved Ike, loved anyone who was close to him._ _

__And Kenny, of course, was too greedy to be content._ _

__“…You okay, Ken?” His coworker had to be seeing something to ask. Kenny came to work pissed loads of times but no one ever said anything._ _

__“Great, thanks.” He definitely wasn’t saying anything about this. To anyone. Ever. Though he suspected, sometimes, that Karen knew. She asked about Kyle too much, passed along information from Ike a little too frequently, when she didn’t say anything about his other friends._ _

__“Hey, Kenny?” Kyle was leaning into the kitchen, beet-red. “When are you off work?”_ _

__His heart dropped down through the damn earth._ _

__“I……close…” Kenny stammered._ _

__“I got this, Ken, go ahead,” The guy who’d dropped into their town in elementary and went mostly unnoticed turned out to be a pretty okay kid. The best kid. He just about sat down in the middle of the kitchen in utter relief._ _

__“You’re sure?” Kenny was untying his apron even as he asked. Jayce snorted._ _

__“It’s just an hour later than I was staying anyway.” He watched as Kenny scrambled around the kitchen. “Have fun.”_ _

__Oh, he was. Kenny more or less burst into the lunchroom, beat-up sneakers skidding on the tiles. Ike was clearly in the middle of saying goodbye, and smirked at Kenny as he finally walked out the door._ _

__Kyle was staring at him, even his curls looked frazzled. Kenny was panicking. This was awesome._ _

__“You want to go for a walk?” Kyle asked, awkwardly, and Kenny didn’t even think._ _

__“ _Yes_.”_ _

__They walked side-by-side. Kenny shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to mask the shivering._ _

__Kyle had only gotten hotter since graduation. He lifted his chin a little higher, his gaze a little sharper. Attitude was one thing that could draw Kenny in and destroy him. Kyle had a nice air of confidence._ _

__To his surprise, the boy was walking towards the woods. Kenny made a noise, questioning._ _

__“I just wanted to talk to you,” Kyle said, still not looking at the blond. “Thanks for getting off.”_ _

___No problem when I’m around you, babe._ Kenny managed not to say, not ready to screw this up so quickly. He choked on the giggle that came from thinking about it, though._ _

__“Sure,” He said instead, taking a breath to center yourself. “You’ll get your nice clothes dirty, though.”_ _

__“I don’t care,” Kyle’s eyes flashed, and Kenny had forgotten how Riled Kyle was a Thing for him. Again, attitude. Kyle, when he thought he was right or had his mind set on something, was intoxicating._ _

__Kenny smiled, and they walked together._ _

__The woods were bright. Sunny, making a gold outline on every leaf. Kyle was taking deeper breaths, the fire leaving his eyes and turning him into something more relaxed. This was a nice Kyle, too, the suggestion of a smile playing on his lips and posture relaxed._ _

__Hell, Kenny just liked all sides of this kid. Let’s be real._ _

__“I missed you,” Kyle said, still watching the path ahead._ _

__Kenny had to remember how to breathe. What powerful words. His heart warmed, a smile spreading over his entire face._ _

__“Yeah?” His own voice sounded almost reverent in it’s quiet. “I…missed you too.”_ _

__Kyle finally looked over at him, smiling. Kenny was just… a mess. Staring back at him, soaking it in. Kyle looked up at the trees, hands in the pockets of his name-brand jacket._ _

__“I’m surprised by what I miss,” Kyle admitted, and Kenny vaguely wondered if that was an insult. “It’s exciting to think about moving halfway across the country. I wasn’t excited, I hated it, but I like it better now. I think.”_ _

__“…Yeah?” Kenny was just the best of conversational partners._ _

__Kyle huffed, smile tight. “I actually like being away from my family. I like the classes. The new scenery. I miss you guys, though.”_ _

__“Oh.” Shut him the fuck up. Of all the times for the earth _not_ to swallow him up…_ _

__“I just…” Kyle was starting to look different now, the kind of expression he had when he was making up his mind. “I want to talk about something, and I don’t want you to interrupt.”_ _

__“Sure, man,” Kenny said, attention focused. Worry raised like bile in his throat. “Are you okay?”_ _

__“I’m fine, Ken,” Kyle exhaled, shakily, and that didn’t help the worry. “Just don’t make fun of me.”_ _

__Kenny shrugged. “I wanna listen. Whatcha got?”_ _

__“I missed you more than anything else,” Kyle admitted, like he was steeling himself. Kenny inhaled sharply, unable to help it._ _

__“Yeah, I’m not making fun of that,” Kenny was definitely shaky now. Who did Kyle think he was, delivering Earth-shattering declarations like that?_ _

__But he wasn’t done._ _

__“I fucked up,” The curly-haired boy shook his head at himself. “I didn’t…I was a shitty friend to all of you, the last few years. And I regret that so fucking much now, it-” He seemed to be struggling._ _

__“Ky?” Kenny poured all his concern into that one syllable. Kyle waved him away._ _

__“I’m fine. It’s fine,” Kyle reassured him. “I’m just…sorry. It’s already a regret and I’m barely an adult. Nice, right?”_ _

__Kenny had a long, long string of regrets. He wasn’t one to talk._ _

__“So it’s…kind of something I’ve been struggling with, and I thought about just leaving things how they are, but I _can’t_.” Kyle let the words tumble out. “And I can’t let this be another regret I have. I don’t want you to hate me over this, or feel weird, or obligated, nothing. Okay?”_ _

__His world was shattering, in the best way possible. Picking apart reality to give him something he surely wasn’t going to be allowed._ _

__“I would never hate you,” The words came out a little more strongly than he meant them to. But it made Kyle flush, made him start to smile again, and the boy stopped, and looked up at Kenny with a ferocity. Determination._ _

__Fucking dork._ _

__Kenny waited, a grin bright enough to match the sunshine._ _

___CRACK….FWOOM_ _ _

__It was like the very earth exploded. At least four trees uprooted, and Kyle swore frantically. The sounds grew louder, until it roared. Just a white noise in Kenny’s ears, and Kyle was grabbing his sleeve, not for comfort but _protection,_ pulling him in against him._ _

__But Kenny had gotten pretty good at figuring out when the Universe was pissed and wanted to scrape him off the Earth._ _

__He shoved Kyle away, and kept pushing._ _

___Stay away from me_ , he tried to tell him nonverbally. Warn him. Don’t let him get hurt. Anything but that. Anything, anything, anything, anything, please._ _

__More roaring, and finally the groan of a tree falling over him. Pain. Burning. Then numbness. Quiet, except for the ringing in his ears._ _

__“KENNY!”_ _

__Oh thank gods, Kyle was alive. He exhaled, relaxing. Kenny could feel himself dying. Feel the branches crushing his bones, blood pooling under the skin. His head was trapped, his vision gone. He loved when deaths were painless. Now if only he passed quick, while his body was still in shock._ _

__Kyle was still calling his name. He’d calm down in a minute. Kenny blinked, tiredly. The whole tree hadn’t even fallen on him, that was nice. If not for what was probably internal bleeding, he might actually not have died. What was important was Kyle sounded okay. That was what mattered. His eyelids felt heavy. Good. Let him pass. Hopefully Kyle would still be around when it was over, and then….and then…._ _

__\--_ _

__Pain._ _

__Insufferable, agonizing, please-let-me-die kind of pain. Kenny choked on it, might have thrown up just from the sharp, piercing screams his body was giving out. Then coolness and peace. Not like death, but just as muffling. Just as quiet._ _

__Kenny woke up to stare blearily at an IV drip. People buzzed above him, telling him that he was fine. Alive. He blinked against the light, feeling fear. He couldn’t be in a hospital. He couldn’t…couldn’t afford that right now. He didn’t…die? He had felt himself leaving, that had been one of his better deaths lately._ _

__He needed to get out and get it over with. It was really hard to kill himself with so many people staring…what if it was too late? How long had it been? Had he passed the point where he’d be able to worm his way out of a medical bill?_ _

__“How long’s it been?” He more or less slurred, trying to wake himself up fully. No more sleeping._ _

__“You’ve been out a while,” The nurse told him, checking the drip. “Don’t move your arm like that, dear. Lay still.” Kenny agonized over the lack of actual answers before she said: “You think you’d be up for a visitor?”_ _

__Fuck._ _

__“My sister here?” Kenny asked, voice cracking. He definitely didn’t want Karen to see him hurt. He never let her if he could help it._ _

__The nurse shook her head, watching him. “Your friend, the one you were walking with. He got you to the hospital, he’s been waiting outside since you arrived.”_ _

__Kenny nearly choked to death on air right then and there, which would have solved a lot of problems for him. The numbers on his heart monitor spiked. “Kyle?”_ _

__“I’ll get him for you, sweetheart,” The lady was smiling, a bit knowingly, and finally left Kenny alone._ _

__He just breathed, trying to calm himself, staring at the door with such intensity it might just jump up and run away out of sheer embarrassment._ _

__Kyle. That weird happenstance in the woods, he’d been there, he was okay, and he’d gotten Kenny to _safety_ and he’d _waited_ for him, and he’d just been saying something that sounded like what Kenny had been dreaming of since he was a kid. He was shivering, which actually hurt, eyes wide like he was afraid to blink._ _

__Kyle flew into the room, dirt streaking his nice clothes and small cuts on his cute face, but other than that he didn’t look hurt at all._ _

__“Kyle!” Kenny didn’t even mean to say his name at all, much less like he was overjoyed to see him._ _

__It was definitely the right thing to do, however, because Kyle’s look of terror was replaced by something warm. Bright._ _

__“ _Kenny_ , He said, rushing to his bedside like a dream._ _

__He clutched at the blankets by his side, looking over him, looking so concerned that it made his heart flutter. He was so worried about him._ _

__“I’m alright, Ky,” Kenny said, knowing full well that smiling like this was hurting, but absolutely unable to stop. He lifted a hand, inhaling against the pain. Ouch._ _

__Kyle slipped his fingers through Kenny’s, causing another twinge of pain that didn’t matter. His palm was so warm, his eyes were so focused, like he was the only thing that mattered. Kenny hungrily soaked it in, the feeling of just being cared about._ _

__“You scared me to death,” Kyle admitted, thumb stroking over Kenny’s._ _

__“Sorry.” Kenny said softly. “You’re not hurt, are you?” He looked mostly okay._ _

__“I’m fine,” Kyle laughed, shoulder slumping in relief. “You were…we don’t know what happened. You were nearly crushed, Ken.”_ _

__“What’d, you swoop in to be my hero?” Kenny asked, insides all fuzzy. He was beaming, unable to look away from the tired, relieved face of the Jewish boy._ _

__“I…well, you were hurt,” Kyle was red at the phrase. “You were bleeding out, and you crushed a lot of things in your right leg. It’s…incredible, actually, that you actually _lived_ through that, if the actual trunk part had landed on you, Ken, there would have been nothing I could-”_ _

__“So you did save my life,” Unfortunately it didn’t matter, but Kyle didn’t know that. Sometimes Kenny forgot that once in a while, people actually cared if he got hurt. People always reacted differently, some just let him bleed out while they watched, boredly, or stepped over him, some people freaked out and then forgot about it. Kyle was the latter kind of person._ _

__Kyle was such a dark scarlet it made his hair look mostly orange rather than the auburn it had turned to somewhere around 7th grade._ _

__Kenny untangled his fingers to reach up, touching his face without thinking. Feeling how hot it was, the proof that Kyle cared, could be flustered by Kenny, could-_ _

__“What was that you were saying when we were interrupted?” Kenny asked, as if someone had merely come up to the two and tapped them on the shoulders rather than brought down part of the forest on top of them._ _

__Kyle laughed, incredulously. “You’re worried about this now?”_ _

__“Very,” Kenny said seriously. His heart was working overtime today. “I liked where it was going.”_ _

__Kyle looked like he wanted to disappear. “Oh. Well…” He was clearly struggling, and Kenny took pity on his savior._ _

__“What am I supposed to hate you for?” Kenny prodded gently, fingers turning feather-light on his cheek. Kyle licked his lips, coming close enough to his hand that Kenny’s stomach flipped._ _

__“Look, I’m not…strictly platonic about how I view you,” Kyle’s words were definitely more shaken than they’d been in the forest, but Kenny wasn’t bothered. Poor kid had a terrible day, if only he’d actually died and let him start over next time._ _

__Then the words kicked in._ _

__Holy shit, this was actually happening._ _

__“And it’s been like that for a while,” Kyle was shivering, he could feel it. Kenny trailed his hand against his jaw soothingly, realizing then that it was _himself_ that was shaking. “I just…particularly…you could have died, I don’t want anything to ever happen without you knowing.”_ _

__“Knowing what?” Kenny was being an asshole. If Kyle couldn’t read the glow to his face, though…_ _

__Kyle could tell. He took a comically large breath. “That I love you.”_ _

__Kenny stared. Directly into green-brown eyes, the face of someone he knew almost as well as his own sister, someone he’d grown up with and shared so much of his life with. Someone so way out of his league that he might just be dead after all, and this was his version of heaven._ _

__“I’d break every bone in my body to hear that again,” Kenny croaked, sounding way less cool than he’d hoped._ _

__Kyle snorted, and it was definitely him that was shaky now. He reached for the hand on his face, pressing a kiss against the palm. Kenny made a noise, involuntarily. Trying to comprehend all this was incredible. Holy shit._ _

__“Yeah, don’t,” Kyle was still pink, but sounded much more confident. “That’s really not necessary and I’m not sure I could see you get hurt again.”_ _

__“Please-” Kenny needed it. To know it wasn’t just his own imagination._ _

__“I love you, Kenny,” Kyle told him, gently carding a hand through his hair. Kenny melted. “I love you very much.”_ _

__“Love you too,” Kenny breathed, feeling his throat and eyes burning. No way. Nope. He didn’t cry, not ever, and there was no reason to now. “Ky. Fuck. I…Kyle…”_ _

__Kyle leaned in, the sweetheart, to kiss his forehead with a gentle touch._ _

__This was…was this actually happening? If he wasn’t careful, he was definitely going to start tearing up. He cleared his throat, trying not to look like a crybaby._ _

__“Didn’t think you were a possibility,” He weakly joked. “Or shit, man, I would have said something years ago.”_ _

__“…Years?” Kyle’s voice was quiet, expression searching. His brows were scrunched, clearly trying to read him. Figure out where along the lines he missed Kenny pining after him._ _

__Embarrassed, Kenny scrambled for a new topic._ _

__“I mean…hey, there’s no cute boys up north for you?” Kenny teased. “Gotta leave the ritz and come back to a grimy little Colorado brat?”_ _

__“There’s lots of cute boys,” Kyle bit back frostily, eyes flashing. “And all of them are fucking morons.”_ _

__Kenny digested that. “Thought you went to a smart kid school.”_ _

__“I do,” Kyle said, taking another breath that sounded more frustrated. “They’re all airheads, though. The ones in my year, anyway. There’s some nice kids hidden in the group, but…” He was staring off, at one of the monitors hooked to the blond, jaw set. “You’re different.”_ _

__“…Yeah?” Kenny wasn’t sure what to say to that. What would…what did that mean? It sounded positive?_ _

__“Yeah.” For a moment, he was afraid Kyle wouldn’t continue. “You’re…you’ve worked for everything you have.”_ _

__“That’s positive?” Kenny joked, and was immediately fixed with a look that made him snap his mouth shut._ _

__Kyle looked…bizarrely pissed._ _

__“Very,” Kyle’s voice was strong. Commanding. Talk to him more like that, please and fucking thanks. The boy pulled up a chair to sit by Kenny’s bedside, with such intensity it made the blond grin._ _

__“You are the most hardworking person I know,” Kyle said firmly. “And I’ve always, always admired you for it. Everything you do for others, Karen particularly, what you give up and you accomplish, everything is on you and shit, Ken, sometimes I wish I was more like you.”_ _

__Kenny stared, frozen._ _

__“You’ve worked harder than at least ninety percent of the people I have to deal with on a daily basis,” Kyle continued, fiercely. “Everything I admire about people, is in you. _Is_ you, you’re already more successful than a majority of those kids are ever going to be.”_ _

__“Kyle-” Kenny protested, but Kyle spoke over him._ _

__“Out of everyone, you were always the best of us,” Kyle kept his gaze, honestly. He really believed that. “You’ve always been the better man. No exceptions.”_ _

__“Ky,” He croaked. To his horror, his vision was starting to blur._ _

__“I’m so proud of you, Kenny,” Kyle said, and that was too much._ _

__“Because the poor kid made something of himself?” Kenny half-joked, slightly bitter._ _

__“Because you make decisions I don’t think anyone else would,” Kyle corrected him. “Regardless of where you come from, that’s irrelevant. You’ve always striven to do better, put your sister before yourself to whatever cost. But you never complain. You even listen to other people’s problems, my problems even, like you don’t encounter worse. You shoulder that responsibility like you’re glad to-”_ _

__“I am,” Kenny protested._ _

__“And that’s what makes you different,” Kyle brought the point back around. “It’s like you can’t see yourself, Ken. This isn’t normal. People aren’t like you.”_ _

__Kenny tried to think of something to say. Faltered, flubbed, tried to counterargue this bizarre, impossible viewpoint. “When the poor kid makes improvements, I guess-”_ _

__“Would you shut the fuck up about that?” Kyle finally lost his patience. “You have worse obstacles than us to overcome. It sucks. You had to pretty much become Karen’s parent as well as her brother and run a fucking household before you were even a teenager and that’s not fucking fair. But you treat people talking about that like it’s a bad thing. Like we should have expected you to rise so high above those deadbeats all along.”_ _

__Kenny felt his heart break, just a bit, “…You didn’t expect me to.”_ _

__Kyle looked him right in the eyes, leaning in. “I wouldn’t have.”_ _

__Okay, that wasn’t a response he expected. He snorted. “Sure, which one of us is Ivy League now?”_ _

__“Yeah, anything I didn’t get a scholarship for is being paid by my parents,” Kyle snapped back. “Including my car, my phone, my insurance, my rent, my books, my clothes, my groceries, every bit of technology I own, the furniture in my house, shut _up,_ ” he said as Kenny started to speak, “Not to mention the fact I had a fire under my ass the whole time I was in school. I wouldn’t have tried that hard if I didn’t, absolutely fucking not. I had money and support and opportunity and I still almost quiet several times. If I didn’t have any of that, if no one supported me or expected anything of me, I abso-fucking-lutely would not have even tried.”_ _

__“I’m not going to school, Kyle,” Kenny tried weakly to bring him back to reality._ _

__“So?” Kyle Broflovski actually said, throwing his hands in the air. “My point is, you’re someone remarkable. And if no one ever tried setting you on a path to be a good person, to be not only ethical but kindhearted, forgiving, resilient, selfless…then you’ve become that all on your own. By the strength of your own character.” He took a breath finally, having stood sometime during that tirade. Kenny hadn’t even noticed, too entranced by this boy. “So my point stands. You’re worth all of them together. You’re different from anyone I’ve ever met and I’m never getting over you.”_ _

__Everything felt so surreal. Kenny tried to soak in the words, understand where he was coming from. He licked his cracked lips, feeling a split from where a giant tree had nearly crushed him to death._ _

__Right now he was so glad it hadn’t._ _

__“I think you’re going to be a bomb-ass lawyer,” He managed, and Kyle smiled. Fondly, watching him like he was the center of the universe. Him, the center of Kyle Broflovski’s universe. His heart was soaring._ _

__Goddamn it, he couldn’t sit up._ _

__“Kyle,” Kenny said helplessly, “I’d kiss you but I can barely move-”_ _

__Kyle snorted again, ugly and cute, a grin splitting his face. “Tell me if I hurt you.”_ _

__“I don’t care,” Kenny breathed, and Kyle leaned over him._ _

__Kyle wasn’t shy about kissing him. Like he wanted to just as badly. And it was starting to…starting to seem like he did. Want Kenny just as badly._ _

__Kyle loved him just as much._ _

__He managed to weave his fingers through Kyle’s curls, sighing against his lips. He scratched against his scalp, feeling Kyle start to smile._ _

__He leaned back just slightly, pecking Kenny’s lips._ _

__“You okay?” He asked, and Kenny didn’t understand why he would, until he gently touched just under his left eye and pain shot through him._ _

__He jumped, and Kyle winced._ _

__“How bad do I look?” Kenny asked then, realizing he hadn’t really listened to what was wrong with him._ _

__“Handsome,” Kyle shot back, turning the unflappable Kenny McCormick dark red. “But you also look like you picked a fight with a cement truck.”_ _

__“Heh.” Kenny could feel his cheeks burning. “Good thing…good thing I was so heroically rescued, huh?” Lame. Lame, lame, lame._ _

__Kyle didn’t seem to mind. He trailed his fingers along his face again, gently. “You’re dating me now, right?”_ _

__“Yep.” He responded immediately. He wasn’t sure what would happen when Kyle went back to school, Karen still hadn’t picked a college yet and he’d have to use all his finds for that and whatever else she needed. New England was a good ways away. But._ _

__If Kyle wanted him, he’d figure it out._ _

__Or, he corrected, watching a pink but pleased Kyle gently brush back his hair from his face, they would._ _

__“Wanna see what the school looks like?” Kyle asked suddenly, reaching to get his phone from his pocket. “Reminds me of Hogwarts.”_ _

__“Awesome,” Kenny said, and snuggled back into his pillows, one hand in Kyle’s._ _

__Daunting, yes. But this gave him hope. Kyle saw him as an equal, took one look at the kids up north and said nah. He’d rather have the scrawny kid from a tiny mountain town. Was brave enough to act on what he felt, unlike Kenny. He could just picture Kyle, making up his mind. Making asking Ike for advice, getting all flustered to realize Kenny was actually there at the diner to begin with. Having the determination to go through with it, and completely shatter all Kenny's preconceived notions about what the kid thought about him._ _

__For all his pining, self-deprecating thoughts and reasons about how he'd never be worthy of Kyle, the boy had all along been admiring him. Been proud of him, as his friend, just for making good decisions. Had considered him a stronger character than Kyle himself. The thought was so Earth-shattering. Kyle thought Kenny was stronger than him._ _

__It wasn't something he'd ever allow himself to think on his own. He listened to Kyle talk, eyes focused on the boy._ _

__He'd argue that Kyle was just a strong of a person, and at least three times as courageous._ _


End file.
